Chief Justice Jorge Labarga talked about Florida’s Commission on Access to Civil Justice, which aims to find solutions for those unable to defend themselves in civil court cases like foreclosure.
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The chief justice created the commission by executive order in 2014 in order to combat problems created when people don’t have a way to defend themselves in court. There are currently 38 other states with similar commissions.

Labarga said federal funding for legal aid has declined since 2012 as a result of historically low interest rates and many working class Floridians find themselves stuck in a so-called legal services gap. They earn too much for legal aid but not enough to pay for a lawyer.

“Think about how many of these folks give up precious rights they have simply because they cannot afford a lawyer and just give up,” Labarga said. He said he saw a lot of these problems when he was a judge, especially during the foreclosure crisis.